Viral Video: Tourists Burst Crackers Near Kedarnath Temple For Birthday, Police Files FIR

The doors to the Kedarnath temple opened on April 22, 2026, and the shrine has since been swarmed by devotees. However, a recent incident that went viral on social media led to a case being registered against those involved. In the video, a man, reportedly identified through his now-deleted Instagram handle sumit_k_blog, says he is in Kedarnath with his friends and that they are celebrating one of the friend's birthday by bursting skyshots near the temple complex. "Happy birthday, bhai," the person recording the video says to his friend, who is also seen recording the fireworks on his phone.

The video, posted on April 25, 2026, has since gone viral on social media, with viewers expressing disappointment at the sight.

उच्च हिमालय क्षेत्र केदारनाथ धाम में बम पटाखे फूट रहे है। कुछ लोग अपने दोस्त का birthday माना रहे हैं!
@uttarakhandpolice से आग्रह है कि sumit_k_blog पर सक्त से सक्त कार्यवाही की जाए#Kedarnath #uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/UlsBXLA21G

— आलोक | Pahadi Vibe (@alokntyl) April 27, 2026

Rudraprayag Police, Uttarakhand, in an X post on April 27, stated that major police action has been taken against those violating temple sanctity. The crime was noted as: "Case of celebrating birthday by bursting firecrackers in the Dham premises and making the video viral."

A case has been registered against the concerned individual at Kotwali Sonprayag under Section 353(3) of the BNS, which deals with public mischief within a place of worship.

केदारनाथ धाम: मंदिर की मर्यादा भंग करने पर पुलिस की बड़ी कार्यवाही 🚨
​अपराध: धाम परिसर में पटाखे जलाकर जन्मदिन मनाने और वीडियो वायरल करने का मामला।
​पुलिस एक्शन: कोतवाली सोनप्रयाग में संबंधित व्यक्ति के विरुद्ध मुकदमा (BNS की धारा 353(3)) पंजीकृत। pic.twitter.com/XxQuk2SOiJ

— Rudraprayag Police Uttarakhand (@RudraprayagPol) April 27, 2026

Many X users shared their views on the incident. Take a look:

One wrote, "It's essential, everyone has turned the religious place into a picnic spot."

Another said, "Kaise kaise log h.... Shrine places ko bhi party places bna diya h ajkal. [What kind of people are these... they have turned even shrine places into party places these days.]"

Also Read: Anand Mahindra Shares Rare Photo Of What Kedarnath Looked Like 144 Years Ago

A third suggested, "Phones should not be allowed within a 1 km radius of the temple..."

One said, "They're just messing around; at this rate, they'll ruin everything." Another chipped in, "Some people are so dumb, sir, they just want views on social media."

A user added, "All religious places should ban all electronic items, especially any kind of recording devices beyond a point."

At present, the temple authorities have announced a complete ban on mobile phones inside the temple premises.